Keep your racquet head up

With this kind of volleying technique, Steffi Graf should be coming to the net a lot more than she does. She keeps her racquet head up nicely and hits through the ball well. Her wrist is up and firm, and she has positioned herself to make perfect contact with the ball. Her upper and lower body are in balance with each other. Everything’s in sync. You couldn’t hit the sweetspot much better than this.

Don’t be casual

Sometimes players look at a high volley and think it’s a gimme, and that’s when they blow it. Don’t assume any volley is easy, because you might become too casual. Here Boris Becker shows good early preparation. He’s doing a good job of keeping the backswing short and compact, with the racquet head up and the racquet face behind the ball. A good volleyer stays on the ball, with no racquet movement away from the ball. Becker’s eyes are focused right on the ball, and will remain that way through the stroke.

Get down to the ball

One of the most important things about the low volley is to get your racquet down to the level of the ball. For a big man, Greg Rusedski has done this very nicely bybending his knees, mot bending excessively from the waist. His hand and the ball are basically at the same level and the racquet head stays firm. He keeps his hands out in front well, too, which ensures a firm wrist. It’s a very good volleying position.

Approach shot:

Look for the short ball

Jana Novtona is always looking for the short ball. This ball has landed inside the service line, and she’s taking it and going in. Just look at her forward momentum. There’s no holding back now! Her racquet head is a little low following contact on this shut, but she can get away with this. You should try to keep your racquet head in a higher position to assure a firm shot and avoid chopping at the ball.

Stretch volley:

Keep your hands in front

The most important thing on a stretch volley is to lead with the hands. You want to keep them out in front of you, as Becker is doing here—don’t try to take a backswing. That way, even if your body is sprawling, your hands are still in a good position to volley. Keeping your hands in front also helps you stay balanced. Even if you have to leap for the shot, keep your body under control, as Becker is doing here.

First volley:

Be aggressive

Arantxa Sanchez Vicario is not going to put this volley away, but she still can make an aggressive volley from this position on court. If the ball is below net-top level (as it apparently was here) but you’re as balanced as Sanchez Vicario is in this photo, volley as aggressive as possible, then continue to move forward. Even if you can’t put the ball away, an aggressive first volley will make the second one easier/

Half volley:

Keep the racquet head firm

Pete Sampras stays down well to the ball, which helps him get some body weight behind this tough shot. He keeps his wrist firm and the racquet head square to the ball. You need to time the shot so that your racquet head doesn’t have any wobble to it. Keep the trajectory of the ball low and try to get the ball as deep as possible into the court. If you keep everything sturdy, you can turn this defensive shot into an offensive one.